7 Design Trends for Your Business 2017

New year, new inspiration. Design is always evolving and in order to create the best experiences for your customers it’s important to stay on top of what’s trending in the design world. While your business certainly shouldn’t jump on every trend, here are a few worth keeping an eye on in 2017.

Monoline Illustration

Flat design (a minimalistic design approach featuring clean, open space and crisp edges) is an ongoing trend – and monoline illustrations are a clear progression for 2017. Monoline’s style is approachable and appealing as it seeks to simplify complex ideas with quirky illustrations. Brands like Samsung and Casper are already capitalizing on the trend, and more are sure to follow in 2017.

Long Form Ads (that tell a story)

In an age of 10 second videos and 15 second ad spots, long form advertising has been a breath of fresh air. Longer ads have long been avoided as consumer attention spans get shorter and shorter. The solution? Create an ad that tells a story. This holiday ad directed by Wes Anderson for H&M is a great example. Aside from wearing clothes from the fashion brand, there is virtually no mention of H&M. Instead viewers are swept up in the story of train riders delayed by a snowstorm on their way home for Christmas.

Responsive Design

Responsive technology — the technology that provides a quality web interaction across devices — is going granular. Logos, for example, now need to be viewable across multiple devices, including small wearables, while maintaining their impact. You can see the power of responsive logos by resizing the web pageon this site created by Joe Harrison, a freelance designer specialising in digital and interaction design. The same concepts of responsive design can apply to any branding element, includingicons and even typography with new OpenType variable fonts.

Live Video

Consumers are looking for authenticity in 2017. Live videos are an effective way to establish trust, and a new tactic to appeal to ad-avoidant audiences. The most impressive example this past year was Target and Gwen Stefani’s collaboration – A four-minute live music video filmed on a 32,000 square foot sound stage.

While few brands can pull off a live video so elaborate, live content that provides something of value to your audience can still be engaging. Try out live tutorials and behind-the-scenes views to promote live interaction with your brand.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Innovative technology is putting virtual and augmented reality front and center. The technology is young, but there is growing demand for content even as VR headsets are still being adopted. The content AR/VR provides is immersive and provides new challenges for creators and experiences for consumers.

Minimalism

Minimalism isn’t going anywhere in 2017. Clean lines, lots of whitespace, and overall simplicity makes it a refreshing experience for users. While minimalism concepts haven’t changed much, a recent trend includes a large focus on one piece of content (such as an image or text), without competing elements.

Aerial Views

The velocity of growth for online video is staggering, and with that growth comes a desire for new perspectives. Drones were a technological driving force in 2016 — and now, with increased ease and accessibility of drone photography and video, brands are better suited than ever to provide evocative environmental experiences to potential customers.

ConclusionFrom unique illustrations to stunning aerial photography, 2017’s trends are all about improving the customer experience. Which trends will you be incorporating in your business this year?